The Duke and Duchess of Windmere have been married for 7 years and have a barren marriage. It is both physically barren (the Duchess has never gotten pregnant) and emotionally barren.

One day, overhearing his doctors talking about a terminal case, the Duke believes that he has less than a year to live. After indulging in self-pity and getting roaring drunk, he decides to set his will in order and make sure that his mother, his wife, and his mistress will be financially secure after his death. He gives his mistress her conge and generous parting gifts. He knows his mother, the Dowager Duchess, will always have her homes. However, he finds out that the Duchess would face an uncertain future if he dies without producing any issue.

When the Duke got drunk, the Duchess knew that something has happened. She follows him to their country estate in the hope that they might get closer as they used to be in the first year of their marriage when her husband was just the Second Son and not the Duke overwhelmed by the grandeur and rigid demands of his position after his older brother’s death.

The title of the novel is misleading. The Duchess’s next husband is never named altho the Duke does make up a laundry list of candidates. The book is less about the Duke looking for his replacement than it is about dealing with barrenness.

The barrenness is the symbol of their marriage. In the Prologue, you see the Duke in one of his weekly visits to the Duchess’s bed and it’s a clinical procedure with the Duke thinking of the Dukedom the whole time. As the Duke reaccesses his life and starts to fall for his wife, he begins to want pregnancy for her own sake. To me, this part was probably the most poignant part of the novel.

I love Troubled Marriage stories so enjoyed TDNH. This is my second Terri Brisbin after the medieval The King’s Mistress (a B- read) and I can see that Brisbin is unafraid to have far-from-perfect H/Hs in both books, which I applaud.

The thing I did not like was that there was nothing in the book anywhere that told me whether it was Regency period or Victorian. Also, I found the Duke rather on the dumb side and too easily manipulated by the Dowager Duchess, the villainess of the story. As a rule, I dont necessarily mind dumb H/Hs as long as they are equally matched in stupidity. (My favorite example of well-matched dum-dums is in Beast by Judith Ivory.) However, the Duchess was a bit smarter than the Duke. She knew something was up immediately and the Dowager had to work a lot harder to manipulate her. I couldnt help thinking their HEA was a bit dubious as long as the Dowager was in their lives.

Am I ever gonna read another Terri Brisbin? That depends. If she does one with another of my favorite tropes, then Yes. Otherwise, No.

Yeah, I know what you mean about the “certain elements.” There was a line or two that made me so all Church Lady and go “isnt that speshul?”

I didnt know you liked amnesia romances. I know that you didnt care for MJP’s UNCOMMON VOWS which is one of my fave amnesia stories. There are about 2 Charlotte Lambs where the heroine has forgotten the marriage but her heroes aint no debonair Ronald Coleman type. Ronald Coleman *swoon* Have you ever seen him in PRISONER OF ZENDA? He certainly knew how to use his sword. The novel of the same name by Anthony Hope was rollicking good fun also.

Casablanca. Hmm. If you really think about it, Ayn Rand’s THE FOUNTAINHEAD has the heroine leave her husband whom she respects for the love of her life. There are some really good passages in that book if you dont mind all the heavy philosophy. Of course, the movie adaptation with Gary Cooper was turned into one of the most campiest movies that ever camped.

I liked this one quite a bit, but can’t off-hand think of another Brisbin to recommend. I also enjoyed Taming The Highlander, but wouldn’t consider it actually very good. (I’m sure you appreciate the distinction.) And the only other by her I’ve read was kind of heavy on the awful. (Extremely abusive husband.) I do have a bunch more in my pile…. one of these years…

Seton, I usually don’t like amnesia storylines with the exceptions of Shelly Thacker’s A STRANGER’S KISS and RANDOM HARVEST. Sherry from Judith McNaught’s UNTIL YOU drove me crazy, but Judith McNaught novels usually do.

I’m really a big, big fan of I hate you turns into I love you plots. And when there’s I want/love/desire heroine so bad, but I cannot have her (or vice versa), love those. Gideon Shaw’s storyline in Lisa Kleypas’ AGAIN THE MAGIC . . . OMG, swoon. I am a huge fan of Gideon.

Not a big fan of Martin Guerre type of stories.

You’re right about The Fountainhead being like Casablanca, but TF as a movie is so bad.

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seton, a cranky tourist who tries to visit Romancelandia whenever she can. When not gawking at the all the Mantitty and Magical Hoohahs that litter the landscape, she likes to watch Old Movies, avidly follow Reality TV and bemoan the end of Buffy.